Dawn history

Long ago, the Marches were part of the Kingdom of Dawn. Bitter feuds between the noble houses of Dawn and those of the Marches resulted in frequent wars and eventually in separation. The two Nations drifted further apart over time, but a simmering antagonism and resentment remains in some noble houses.

The last Dawn King, a powerful mage, successfully wooed the first Empress. On their marriage, he gave her the territory of the Riding, the royal hunting ground. The Empress brought her armies to Dawn intending to unite the lands under the Imperial banner but her husband convinced her to challenge the ruling Earls to single combat. As each suffered defeat, they acknowledged her prowess and pledged their loyalty. When all had submitted, she gave the Riding to its people, as the second territory of the new Marches.

Before Imperial rule forbade war between the houses, it was commonplace for a defeated noble to swear oaths of fealty or good intention. To ensure these oaths were kept, all the noble's children would be taken as hostages. To avoid this fate, a noble would send every second child to be raised in the houses of friends and allies. As this practice spread, it became increasingly common for powerful nobles to adopt talented children into their own family.

This custom continued after the Empire brought peace to Dawn so that now children passed over at birth, are raised as full members of the noble house that adopts them. Such children have the same rights and responsibilities as their siblings who are born into the house; the Dawn ideal is that an Earl should treat all the members of his or her house as if they were of the same blood. Tawdry tales of Earls who fall short of this ideal are common, but it is not unusual for an adopted noble to become Earl of a house.

It is possible, though rare for yeoman children to be adopted by a noble family. Usually this is done as an act of gratitude by a powerful noble. More rarely it occurs because a child catches the eye of a noble, impressing them with their potential.

Ages past, a yeoman gave his life to save the husband of Sir Magdalena of the Flowered Field lady on a battlefield, and in gratitude she adopted his children into her house.

Dawn has prospered under Imperial rule and grown in strength, gaining territory as the barbarians have been driven back. When the Empire began to stagnate, the Nations strong internal unity and emphasis on military strength meant that it has always succeeded in repulsing invaders. It is a source of enormous pride to all Dawnish that theirs is the only Nation that has never lost territory to the Barbarians.

Despite the seats that their territories give them, Dawn Senators have often struggled to gain political support. When Dawn armies successfully defeated the forces of the city of Holberg, League senators were able to convince the Senate to assign the territory to League control. Two centuries later, when Holberg was sacked by orcs, the loss was in no small part due to the political divisions the territory still evoked.